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£60m fee and whopping £200k-a-week wages help Liverpool lead race for top target

Liverpool are reportedly set to win the race to sign Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk this summer, and there’s some big numbers involved.

The Dutchman is said to have revealed that Anfield is his preferred destination amid talk of Chelsea and Manchester City also being interested, and The Guardian have reported the figures that it will take for Liverpool to fend off the competition.

While it’s noted that a fee has yet to be agreed with the Saints and personal terms will undoubtedly follow on from that, it’s claimed in the report that Liverpool are willing to pay around £60m to sign Van Dijk, while they are ready to match City’s offer of a contract worth £200,000-a-week.

In turn, that will make the 25-year-old the club’s record signing and the highest-paid player should they get the deal over the line.

That is serious money on Liverpool’s part and they will now be desperately hoping that if they do sign the Dutch international, he can make a significant impact in helping them improve and reach their objectives moving forward which include making an impression in the Champions League next season.

It’s a much-needed signing for Jurgen Klopp as Van Dijk will bring solidity, consistency and leadership to a backline that was too porous at times last season. So much so that it was arguably Liverpool’s biggest weakness as they had no problems finding the back of the net themselves.

Further, Klopp needs quality and depth in every department in his squad moving forward now, as he will undoubtedly be aiming to turn Liverpool into a perennial Premier League title contender, while also proving that they can mix it with the best in Europe too.